Maridaz didn't expect the next day to change everything. It started like always—fog, the scent of salt air, and a quiet walk to school.
But that morning, Wavemeet felt different.
The fog seemed thicker. The air felt heavier. And everyone around her looked… tense. Like something was just beneath the surface, waiting to break through.
In the hallway, students whispered about someone new. A girl—dark-haired, pale-skinned, eyes too sharp for her age. No one knew where she came from. Just that she appeared in the office that morning with no record, no ID, and a letter signed by the school board—sealed in wax.
Her name was Virella. And when Maridaz saw her, she felt a sudden cold chill run through her entire body.
Then, as if summoned by the same strange energy, Elian appeared behind her.
"You feel it, don't you?" he whispered.
Maridaz turned slowly. "Feel what?"
"They're waking up," he said. "The ones who hide in plain sight."
She stared at him, heart pounding. "What are you talking about?"
Elian glanced at Virella, who now stood perfectly still in the center of the hall, watching them with eyes too old for a teenage girl.
"Wavemeet isn't just a town," he murmured. "It's a boundary. A prison. A sanctuary."
"A sanctuary for what?" Maridaz whispered.
He looked at her, his voice now barely audible. "Creatures who
aren't supposed to exist."